Best Friends & Balls of Yarn
by thewickedverkaiking
Summary: Alternate ending to Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Finn doesn't get injured, while Jessika and Rey become best friends. Jess is also an avid knitter and makes a little gift for Rey before she leaves for Ahch-To. I don't really ship BlueRey (Reylo for life!), but they are totes adorbs as BFFs I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. May the Force be with you!


Around her, everyone was jubilant and celebrating, but honestly, now that the adrenaline rush was over, she was just tired. She didn't know what to do with so many people surrounding her, all the attention made her nervous. Finn, standing next to Poe, seemed to be enjoying it immensely, but Rey just stood in the corner, unsure of what she should, or could do.

"Rey," she turned to see the General. "Why don't you go and get cleaned up? I've already asked Jessika to help you," the General suggested with a smile. Before Rey could respond, Leia had already moved off to direct another personnel, to congratulate another pilot on his success.

Feeling a little lost, Rey headed in the direction of the pilots' barracks. Jessika Pava? She'd seen her at the celebration, Poe had briefly mentioned her, and Rey knew that her call sign was Blue Three. But other than that, Rey had no idea who she was, what she was like, and most importantly, where she was.

Rounding another corner, she ran straight into someone. "Sorry," she mumbled, flushing red and almost tripping.

"Rey?" Rey looked up, and realized that it was Jessika, a broad smile on her face. "Hey Rey, the General told me to look for you."

"She told me to look for you, too," Rey blurted out. That was… awkward, seriously, kriff it, Rey, she wanted to kick herself inside. She wasn't usually this tongue-tied, but she honestly was so tired at this moment, and she could feel a splitting headache coming on.

"I'll show you your bunk," Jessika offered, "You look so tired."

Rey had to laugh. "I am," she admitted. Her legs felt wobbly and ready to give way, and she vaguely realized that she'd been without sleep for hours.  
"Oh, and I'm Jessika Pava, you can call me Jess or Testor." Jessika said with a wave of her hand.

Jessika gestured for Rey to follow, and Rey did so gratefully. The pilot led her down a long corridor with doors on each side, until she finally reached one. Unlocking it with a key from her pocket, she pushed the door open with her shoulder to reveal a decent sized room with two beds side by side. "This is my room, and the General said that you're going to share it with me," Jessika said with a dramatic sweep of her hand.

Rey was rather taken aback, she wasn't sure how to respond. No one had willingly given her a place to stay without her having to pay or work for it. She could feel hot tears rising up and she tried to blink them away before her new friend could see them.

"Go on," Jessika laughed, pushing Rey into the room. "That's your bed, and this is mine," she pointed.

Rey noticed something strange on Jessika's bed, something round and grey and looked like thick thread. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to said object.  
"You've never seen yarn before?" Jessika's eyes grew round.

"Hey, I've lived on a desert planet all my life, don't expect me to know everything," Rey joked playfully, despite her tiredness.

"That's yarn," Jessika readily explained, and picked up two needles before proceeding to explain knitting to Rey, who tried her best to pay attention and keep her heavy eyes open.

This marked the beginning of a friendship.

Rey soon learned that Jessika was an avid knitter, and whenever she wasn't flying or going for meetings she would pull out her needles and knit so quickly Rey wondered if she could use the Force.

"What are you making, Testor?" Rey asked, looking over Jessika's shoulder, as the pilot was bent over her yarn and needles.

"It's a surprise," Jessika answered cryptically, not even glancing up as her needles clicked quickly together. Rey frowned slightly, trying to figure out what in the galaxy her new friend was making, but Jessika promptly turned her back.

Nearly a week went by, and the time came for Rey to have to leave and find Luke Skywalker. She felt nervous, almost scared. She wasn't ready for it, not yet, she didn't want to leave the Resistance, her very first friends that had taken her in so warmly and kindly. She didn't want to be alone again. Packing the few belongings she had into the new satchel she had been given, she saw the lightsaber sitting inside, cold and shiny.

She remembered how on Takodana she'd sworn never to touch that thing again. But she had, during that night in the freezing forest, during her duel with Kylo Ren.  
How it had taken her to places she'd never dreamed of.

But she didn't want to pick it up again. She didn't want to go into the unknown again. She didn't want to leave here, it was her home, it was where her friends were. Finn, Poe, and Jessika. Leia, Chewbacca, and Snap. Even the droids – BB-8, C-3PO, R2-D2. She couldn't bear to leave them. And what if they forgot about her?  
Rey was startled by a gentle touch on her arm. She looked up to see Jessika standing there, with a hand that seemed to be holding something behind her back. "I made something for you," Jessika said. She held out a pair of knitted arm warmers. "You may be as tough as durasteel, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a little something to protect you from the cold." She gave Rey a playful wink.

Rey could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "Thank you so much," she managed to say.

Jessika rolled her eyes. "You don't need to get all mushy on me," she dryly replied. "Anyways, it was Poe that gave me the idea and Finn chose the colors. We all wanted you to remember us."

"Of course I'll remember you," Rey hugged Jessika tightly, and the pilot couldn't help but roll her eyes again.

"Alright, shoo, go pack your things." Jessika managed to disengage herself and gently pushed Rey away.

Two days later, as Rey boarded the Falcon with Chewie and Artoo, she'd gotten a new outfit and a new satchel. Waving goodbye to her, Jessika, Poe, and Finn smiled as they saw that she was wearing those knitted arm bands.


End file.
